


Stand And Face Me

by DesertLily



Category: The Bifrost Incident - The Mechanisms (Album), The Magnus Archives (Podcast), The Mechanisms (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Because the world needs more 'Lyf is Jon' fics, Come Dine With Me - Freeform, Concerts, Drinking, Drinking Games, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fake Character Death, Fluff, Gender Non-Conforming Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Georgie Barker & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist Friendship, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Hangover, Humour, Hurt/Comfort, Lyfrassir Edda is Jonathan Sims, Lyfrassir Edda is the Archivist, Martin gives excellent hugs and makes Jon soft, Multi, Nonbinary Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ring of Fire, Tagging characters before they appear but they will all appear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:08:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26616460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertLily/pseuds/DesertLily
Summary: Lyfrassir Edda had loved the Mechanisms once - truly loved them all with their entire heart. But they were mortal; they knew that relationship would not survive the test of time. So they left in pursuit of a quiet life; a simple life. Earth was by far the last place anyone would look for Lyf and besides, how hard could it be to work as an archivist?
Relationships: Ashes O'Reilly/Rosie (The Magnus Archives), Elias Bouchard/Peter Lukas (background), Georgie Barker & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Georgie Barker/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist (past), Georgie Barker/Melanie King, Lyfrassir Edda/Everyone, Lyfrassir Edda/Marius von Raum, Lyfrassir Edda/The Mechanisms Ensemble, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood/Lyfrassir Edda, Sasha James & Nastya Rasputina, Sasha James/Tim Stoker, The Aurora/Nastya Rasputina
Comments: 113
Kudos: 261
Collections: Mechanisms and Magnus Crossovers that maintain the integrity of mechanisms lore





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Me adding character tags and additional tags before they appear in the fic? It's more likely than you think! Also I don't care how overdone this trope is. I love the concept of Lyf as Jon so dearly

Jonathan Sims liked their life. They really did! Work was only partially terrible. They had good friends.  _ They lived with their incredible boyfriend _ . Things were good! They were wonderful! They actually felt human; felt like they belonged. They felt normal. And most importantly; they didn’t feel like Lyfrassir Edda. Not anymore. Everything that had made up Lyfrassir Edda was gone. Their once pure white hair was dyed over. They were no longer an investigator. They were no longer travelling with the Mechanisms. They were  _ stable _ . It was...nice. For once in their life, things were going exactly as they were supposed to. At least, mostly. It was like sailing in calm water after the most vicious of storms. And the storm that had led them there really was vicious.

The destruction of Yggdrasil was something they would never forget. Their entire star system; their home and everyone they had ever known was destroyed in one single instant. It was twisted and distorted by a nightmarish outer god until there was nothing left but a tortured rainbow; a mockery of what had been there before. If they closed their eyes for long enough or thought about it too hard then the rainbow would always try and find its way into the edge of their vision; those tortured whispers would try and find a way into their mind. But they had long since learnt to block it out. After Yggdrasil...They had been alone. They had been alone for a very long time. Though, how long exactly had never been confirmed - mostly because their saviours refused to adhere to a linear time stream. The Mechanisms. The last possible people that Lyf - Jon, they corrected - had ever wanted to be rescued by. Dealing with Raphaella and Ivy in prison hadn’t been entirely terrible but Marius von Raum alone was enough to make Jon despise the very concept of their existence. A fact only made worse by the knowledge that there were in fact  _ nine _ of them. At the time, they were convinced it was the universe playing a huge joke on them but as time went on...It became less of a joke and more of a...Well, they didn’t entirely know how to describe it. Especially as they couldn’t pin down the  _ exact _ point they ended up in a polycule with most of them. It had just...happened. One day they had realised they were hopelessly in love and that hopeless love was apparently very much reciprocated. It was a surprise but at the time, it had been a nice one. 

As time went on, Jon stopped calling it nice. They stopped calling it anything positive, actually. It wasn’t that they didn’t love their partners or that their partners didn’t love them back - it was the opposite actually! It was just...Well, the Mechanisms were all immortal. They were  _ millenia _ old. Lyfrassir Edda was mortal. They would live then they would die. But when they died...They would not come back. Their mortality would define them forever. It changed the way their partners saw them; the way they treated them. There were times when Lyf was treated like they were something fragile that needed to be handled with care. They were treated as if they were on the verge of breaking. As the years went by, it grew  _ suffocating _ . They couldn’t live like that. Lyfrassir knew they needed to leave but they also knew the Mechanisms wouldn’t let them leave. They would call them confused or saying they were being rash. They would keep giving Lyfrassir reasons to stay. So Lyf did the one thing that would ensure they wouldn’t be followed.

They faked their death.

It took a lot of pleading on their part; begging the Aurora for help whilst keeping the others unaware. They knew it was damn near impossible. There were very few things the ship kept from her lover and Nastya would not lie about them being alive. But finally, the Aurora seemed to understand they were suffering. She understood that they needed to leave. So she helped them. It was startlingly easy to make it look like one of the airlocks had malfunctioned; had pulled Lyfrassir Edda out into the vast span of space before anyone could save them. In reality, Lyf had escaped in one of the old escape pods and headed to the first planet they had any hope of fitting in on. Earth. Midgardians and humans had mostly similar biology. It shouldn’t be too hard for them to fit in. The lack of followers assured Lyfrassir that their plan had worked. Only, they were no longer Lyfrassir Edda. Now they had to be someone new. 

They chose the name ‘Jonathan’ out of spite. They  _ knew _ Jonny would hate them using it and it gave them the smallest form of satisfaction. And Sims...Jon wasn’t proud of how they had come up with the name Sims. An ad for one of the Sims games had been one of the first things they had seen upon their arrival on Earth. Thus they had become Jonathan Sims. Aurora had given them information about people on Earth who help them set up a new identity; a new life. It took them awhile but they got their story together; they truly became Jonathan Sims. 

Jon managed to live a mostly normal life for a while. They attended university. They dated Georgie Barker despite the fact she was far too good for them. They got a cat with Georgie that led Jon to deciding that the Admiral was in fact the love of their life. The cat was perfect in every single way. In all honesty, they would probably kill for him. But then they had broken up with Georgie and things had been...tense for a while but they had inevitably come out of it as friends. Jon still visited her every other weekend to chat and get their regular dose of cuddles from the Admiral. It was nice. Everything was...nice. 

Then they accepted the job as a researcher at the Magnus Institute and everything changed forever. Jon had never quite managed to place what drew them to the Institute but once they had seen the job offer, they had applied on pure instinct. It was as if their very body were screaming at them to do it. So they applied. It was easy enough, really. And, sure enough, they got an email a week later welcoming them to a job. It was an...odd job, really. They were researching seemingly supernatural occurrences and making notes of any patterns or anything that seemed ‘important’. In part, they were reminded of the fate of Yggdrasil and, if they thought too hard about it, the slightest rainbow shimmers seemed to taint the edge of their vision. But they powered through. This was  _ different _ . This wouldn’t turn out like before. It was a different planet; different circumstances. Though, there were some perks of working at the Institute. The most notable was Tim Stoker, Jon’s best friend. At least, Tim always insisted they were his best friend. 

Jon tried to ignore the way Tim’s name sent their thoughts a million miles away; to the ship that had once been their home and a particular gunner that resided there. Instead, they focused on him as a person. Tim was charismatic and friendly to  _ everyone _ . It didn’t matter who you were; he always had a smile ready for you - even if there were times when that smile seemed unbelievably strained. Jon could see the grief hidden behind his eyes; a tiredness that rested beneath their own. They had both lost something dear to them and they had found a kindred unity in that. Though, neither had ever mentioned that fact. Neither ever pushed the other about it. Jon was thankful for that. They weren’t entirely sure how they would be able to explain to Tim that they were in fact secretly an alien. They very much doubted it would go down well. But Tim really was a good friend. He made sure they didn’t keep themself isolated from other people. He dragged them out drinking; to pub quizzes; to just...normal things. Hell, he had even dragged them clubbing once! Tim made sure Jon lived their life and they were beyond grateful for it. 

Through Tim, they met Sasha James. Both insisted they were ‘just friends’ but even Jon could sense there was something lying beneath that. There was something about them that was  _ definitely _ more than friends but it seemed as if neither of them wanted to admit it. They didn’t understand why. Being in love...There was nothing else like it. There was nothing in the universe quite as wonderful. It made their heart ache a little but Jon ignored it. They had to. But Sasha and Tim both grew to be close friends. And when Jon was promoted to Head Archivist, they were his first choices as assistants. 

Jon never understood  _ why  _ they got the promotion. Especially when Sasha was the obvious choice. She had worked in the Archives before. She was good at organising. She was practically perfect for the job. Yet Elias Bouchard had still called Jon into their office, thanking them for their application before starting the interview. They had no memory of hearing about the job opening and certainly no memory of ever filling out an application. The interview was...strange as Elias asked them questions they most certainly considered unconventional. He asked them questions about their empathy; their ability to connect with others. He also asked them about their past; any defining moments that drew them towards the Institute. Jon had lied - of course, they had! They could hardly just blurt out that they were secretly an alien from a now obliterated star system. Instead, they made up some convoluted story about encountering a Leitner children’s book as a child about spiders. It was all lies but Elias’s face seemed to light up as they told it. It was as if it was  _ exactly _ what he had wanted to hear. Jon left that interview with a job they were by no means qualified for. 

They insisted to Elias that two assistants would be enough! Sasha and Tim were more than capable! It would be fine. But he was adamant on free. That was how Martin Blackwood walked into their life. It was cliche but the moment Jon saw him, they  _ knew _ there was something different about him - something special. It was a familiar feeling but it was familiar enough to turn them cold; indifferent. They tried to act as if Martin was an inconvenience; as if his very presence was a plague on Jon’s life. But it didn’t last for long. The facade broke easily as Jon found themself growing closer and closer to him. Surprisingly, they found that they didn’t mind. Soon talking turned into getting coffee which turned into dinner which turned into something Jon had never really thought they would find again. Love. They had fallen deeply in love with Martin Blackwood; far deeper than they had with anyone before. Being with him felt...right as if they were supposed to be together. 

That wasn’t to say things were easy in the Archives. Not even remotely! The statements Jon read were quite frankly  _ horrifying _ . They were sinister and disturbing. Each one seemed to manifest in their mind every night; a haunting nightmare they couldn’t quite free themself from. Though, come morning, they never did remember their dreams. Not really. Just the sense of dread that came with them. Then came the  _ worms _ . The fucking worms. Jon didn’t know what Jane Prentiss wanted nor had they bothered to ask. All that matter was that she had gone after Martin; she had terrorised him for  _ weeks _ and had fooled them all. There had been texts saying Martin was ‘sick’ and insisting Jon should have stayed away. When Martin returned and they found out the truth...It had taken a long time before Jon was willing to pull back from the hug they pulled Martin into. 

Prentiss had taunted them for a while; sending a few worms in at a time to taunt them. And it  _ worked _ . It had all of them on edge. It also had Jon spending the night in the archives again and again. They wouldn’t leave Martin there alone. They wouldn’t risk anything happening to him again. Jon had no idea what they were going to do about Prentiss;  _ how did they even kill her?  _ But then Sasha came through with a solution; CO2. That was when Jon came up with a plan. Nobody was to walk around the archives alone; you always stayed with at least one other person and you  _ always  _ kept a small fire extinguisher on you. They were small, portable, and would at least buy time against Jane Prentiss and her hive of worms. It was the best they had. Even lunch breaks were taken in pairs. They looked out for each other. No one would deal with this threat alone. Jon knew from experience that things never worked out well when they were alone. Perhaps this wasn’t as serious as the fate of Yggdrasil but people they cared about were at risk; good people - important people. Neither Jonathan Sims nor Lyfrassir Edda would lose anyone else. 

And it  _ worked _ for the most part. Tim Stoker never took his lunch break alone. Sasha James was never left alone with the spiral table. Martin Blackwood never got separated in the tunnels. They stuck together;  _ they survived _ . And it brought them all closer. It seemed to be the final push Tim and Sasha needed and honestly? Jon had been waiting for them to get together from the second they had met and from the look on Martin’s face, it was evident he agreed. But Jon couldn’t bring themself to care about yet another office romance. They were all safe and happy and nothing else in the world could possibly matter. Why would it? There was nothing like being in love. Elias  _ generously _ gave them all a month off after the Prentiss incident. Jon had used almost the entirety of it to spend time with his boyfriend. By the end of it, Martin was spending more time in their apartment than he was his own. It was...nice. They had forgotten what it felt like to fall asleep in someone else’s arms; to be held close and have no one else in existence matter for a few blissful moments. But Martin allowed them to feel things so much more strongly than they ever had before. It was a different love than that Jon had had for the Mechanisms; this was a devoted love - a love that was nothing but pure. 

Things were...odd going back to work. It was hard to forget the incident and they were still picking up the occasional silver worm carcass. But they all got by. Jon tried to focus on getting as much normality as they could from working in the Archives. For the most part, it wasn’t entirely terrible. Everyone in the office got along well enough and there was a...peace between them. A peace that was broken by Tim showing up with a flyer advertising a band playing at a club across the road from the institute. Jon had a single thought as they read the band name. 

“Fuck.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a concert and many unexpected encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really am sending Jon on an emotional rollercoaster.

Jon wasn’t stressed! Why would they be stressed?! It wasn’t as if their mildly murderous immortal exes were playing  _ extremely _ close to their workplace! Of course it wasn’t! The universe didn’t hate them that much, right? The leaflet for the concert lay firmly on their work desk; taunting them almost. They recognised the cartoon drawing of the Aurora and they most definitely recognised the name written neatly across the top.  _ The Mechanisms _ . Reading the name was enough to have a pit form in their stomach. They were here. They were in London. The leaflet listed seven dates and Jon hoped that would be it. A single week of trying to do their best to hide then they would be fine. This would be over and they would never have to think about space pirates ever again. 

Of course, life couldn’t be that simple. It never was. Naturally, Tim had gotten the four of them tickets - work bonding, he called it. Apparently it was also an attempt to ‘get Jon to go out more’. Jon was perfectly capable of trying to be more social! Just...not them. Never them. They were already trying to think of some excuse to get out of going. Perhaps they could fake a last minute illness - a bad headache or even a migraine. Just  _ anything _ to get out of seeing them again. Jon didn’t know if they could face them again. Not really. So they quickly found themself changing their route home. It would be long winded but they avoided going past the club; avoiding being in clear sight. It would be fine. It would have to do. It - 

“Good Evening, Inspector!” Those three words were enough to make their blood run cold. “It’s Jolly Good To See You Again!” Out of all the Mechanisms, the Toy Soldier was the easiest to deal with. After all, a single order was enough to swear it to secrecy. The right words and it would do or say  _ anything _ . “I Heard That You Were Dead!” 

Jon sighed before reluctantly turning to face it. It looked as it always had with that same painted smile planted firmly on its face. As Lyfrassir Edda, they had quickly gotten used to it. But to Jon, it felt...unnerving. It felt wrong. “I-I guess rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated?” What did they even say? Was...was there even a right thing to say anymore?!

They didn’t get to think on it much further as a pair of wooden arms pulled them into a tight hug. “The Others Will Be So Relieved To See You!” The excitement in its voice made Jon feel sick. “Everyone Was Rather Upset When We Thought You Were Dead! Ashes Even Burned Down A Planet Out Of Anger.” That...didn’t surprise them. Ashes would use any excuse for arson. Though, it had been a while since they had heard of them acting out of rage. “And Marius...The Good Doctor Hasn’t Quite Been Himself Since! But I’m Sure Seeing You Will Cheer Him Up Again!” 

With the briefest moment of hesitation, Jon slowly pulled back from the hug. “I order you not to tell them you saw me here.” Their voice was soft; remorseful. They hated giving orders, being a full believer that the Toy Soldier should be in full control of its own actions. But they couldn’t risk this. Though, perhaps they should have chosen their words a little bit more carefully. They watched as TS tilted its head to the side in mild confusion. “I can’t let them know, TS. Just...I can’t.” Genuine remorse filled their voice. “I-I have to go, I’m sorry. But it was nice seeing you again…” Jon didn’t give it a chance to respond. They simply...ran. It was cowardly and perhaps even childish but they did. Jon thanked whatever gods were out there that they didn’t hear wooden footsteps following them. 

It was two days until the concert. Two days that left Jon full of anxiety that apparently hadn’t gone unnoticed. As was confirmed when Martin finally brought it up. It had been a nice night, really. The two had been curled up on the sofa was Come Dine With Me playing in the background. It was an old episode and Jon was getting ready to hear Peter go off at Jane when Martin spoke up. “...You’ve not been yourself recently.” There was no accusation in his voice. Just concern. “You know you can talk to me, right? I’m your boyfriend, Jon. I’m here for you.” 

“It’s...complicated. You’d think I was mad.” Jon tried to brush him off, turning to hide their face in Martin’s shoulder. They knew the ‘if I can’t see you then you can’t see me’ logic never worked but they couldn’t meet his eyes not about this. “But I’m fine. Really, love.” 

Martin pressed a kiss to the top of Jon’s head, pulling them a little closer. There was something...comforting about being close to him; about being in his arms. It was always where Jon felt their safest. “You can tell me anything. I’ll never judge you for it.” 

Jon glanced up at him in a way that could only be described as pitiful. “...What about if I said the band we were going to see was in fact made up of immortal space pirates that I happened to date?” He laughed softly at that but the laughter soon died down when he realised Jon was being serious. 

“You mean they play characters right?” Martin was quick to ask. “Right?” Urgency filled his voice as Jon stayed quiet. “If it was anyone else telling me this then I’d think they’re insane but you - We’ve been through too much for that. Far too much.” He moved to play with a few strands of Jon’s hair. “Just...explain. Please.” 

So Jon did explain. For the first time in a long time, Jonathan Sims let themself be Lyfrassir Edda and they told their story. Their life on Midgard. Meeting some of the Mechanisms. The event surrounding the Bifrost. Meeting the other Mechanisms. Falling in love. Faking their death. They just kept talking and talking as if they couldn’t stop. “...But I’m not going to leave you. Not like I did them. We’re Mortal, Martin;  _ we have a chance to live a life together _ . I never had that with them. “ 

“Right. Well. Okay.” Martin’s response was to just pull Jon that little bit closer. “That wasn’t what I was worried about. It’s  _ you _ that I’m worried about.” He was quick to assure. “We don’t have to go to this concert. You...you don’t have to see them if you don’t want to. I won’t make you do that, Jon. W-We could make some excuse. Say we’re having a quiet night in or...or something!” 

They couldn’t help it. They smiled. Jon didn’t know why or how Martin Blackwood had fallen in love with them but they were grateful for every second they got to spend with him. They treasured him like a dragon would hoarded gold. “I...I’ll be okay. They won’t notice I’m there.  _ They don’t even know I’m alive _ .” It was a pity the phrase ‘famous last words’ hadn’t existed on Midgard. 

The day of the concert filled Jon with the deepest sense of dread. They stuck to Martin’s side like glue; doing anything and everything to try and keep themself calm. From stealing one of Martin’s jumpers to letting their hair be braided back. It was the first time in years they had let anyone touch their hair. The last time it had been Marius and that thought alone left an aching feeling in their chest. Deep down, they missed him. They missed all of them. How could they not? Jon still loved them in their own way. Perhaps they always would. Still, they stuck close to their friends as they entered the club, doing their best to stay out of sight. Even if it was illogical that they would be seen. After all, the Mechanisms thought they were dead. The club was dark and Jon had long since dyed over the pure white hair that would make them stand out against the crowd. They hid in the darkness.

Jon couldn’t stop themself from smiling as the band started playing; it was familiar and almost...homely in a way. “ _ Like whiskey laced with gasoline… _ ” They rested their head against Martin, lulled into a false sense of security as the concert began. Then it happened. Then Jonny introduced their newest album and suddenly, they felt like Lyfrassir Edda all over again. “Now, for a small divergence. For once, we won’t be telling our own story but recounting that of someone long gone. An in memoriam, if you will.” Oh no. “And so we begin.  _ The Bifrost Incident _ .” Almost instantly, Martin’s hand found theirs and Jon gripped it like a lifeline. This...This wasn’t planned. This was anything but planned. But there was little mockery throughout the performance or snide comments. For once, the Mechanisms really did just tell a story  _ almost respectfully _ . It was almost ironic that Jonny did such a terrible impression of their voice when they had been so quick to steal his name. 

By the time of the brief intermission, Jon finally turned his attention away from the stage. Tim and Sasha truly seemed to be enjoying themselves, talking about each song and the characterisation throughout. Jon tuned out their conversation when they got onto the subject of Inspector Lyfrassir Edda. They did  _ not _ need to know their friends’ opinions on who they used to be. Martin was watching them with a polite smile and worried eyes. “I’m...I’m okay. I can handle it.” They promised softly. They gently pulled their hand back. “I-I’m going to get some air, okay? I’ll be back soon.” 

Jon had never walked as fast as they did to the propped open door of the fire escape; a makeshift smoking area. And God, they really wished they hadn’t given up smoking. A cigarette would be a Valhalla sent blessing for their nerves. At least they had the luxury of being alone. It was just them and their thoughts and they really did have hundreds of those.  _ They had written an album about them.  _ They had written an album  _ in memoriam _ . How did they even begin to handle that? Part of them was honoured and the other part was utterly heartbroken. At the sound of footsteps, Jon looked up and they dearly wished they hadn’t. 

“None of us believed the Toy Soldier when it said it saw you.” The voice sounded almost broken as Jon quickly looked away. “You...You were gone; you were dead. You’re not like us, Lyfrassir! You don’t come back from that shit!” They expected to be shot or hit or  _ something _ . What they hadn’t been expecting was to be pulled into a kiss that was rough, brutal and  _ possessive _ . “But you’re here. We didn’t lose you.” In that moment, Jon would rather have been anywhere else in the world. Their eyes became firmly fixated on the ground. They had no real explanation for this; none that would offer any form of satisfaction, at least. How great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, this is the Iconic tv moment Jon was on about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMvwEgb8_3Y Secondly, I wonder who could be smooching Jon...As always, comments and kudos are appreciated! Or hmu @ desert-lily on tumblr!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is two Tims, Elias is sus, and Jon has yet another unexpected encounter with one of their exes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jon really does go through every emotion in this chapter tbh

Lyfrassir had kissed Gunpowder Tim enough times to remember the way his lips tasted. The same smokiness that Ashes’ kisses always held but tainted by the bitter taste of gunpowder (and occasionally blood but they never liked to think about that). They knew his kisses well. _They knew the kisses from all of the Mechanisms_ _well_. But they weren’t Lyfrassir Edda anymore. They were Jonathan Sims. They were Jon whose heart belonged to Martin Blackwood. Returning the kiss had been familiar; instinctive but it didn’t take long for them to snap themself out of it as they pushed him away. A look of pure panic formed on Jon’s face. 

Jon’s look of panic was met with one of confusion. Tim moved to step towards them but Jon just took a step back. “...Lyf?” Uncertainty filled his voice as he tried to approach them slowly; as if they were a scared animal. Not that entirely surprised Jon. He was good with animals and fond of them too if his attachment to the octokittens was anything to go by. Jon almost smiled as they thought back to the many times they had found him looking almost  _ serene _ amongst a pile of adorable abominations. But now wasn’t the time to reflect on old memories. “Why are you looking at me like that, Lyf? It’s me. It’s Tim…” 

Shit. Shit. Shit. The word on loop was the only thought they seemed to have. What did they say? How the hell did they even handle this? “I-I’m sorry.” Great, Jon. What a wonderful start! “I think you might have the wrong person? I...I don’t know anyone called Lyf or Lyfrassir?” They cleared their throat. “My name’s Jon. I’m sorry…”

Just like that, Tim seemed to deflate like an inflatable with a pinprick in it; slowly and almost pathetically. Not that Jon would ever refer to any of the Mechanisms as ‘pathetic’. But there was something saddening about seeing a look of such hopefulness obliterated so quickly. Jon knew Tim had never handled loss well but to see it from so close up….It filled them with guilt. They tried not to think about the response to their death often but this alone was proof that it wasn’t as meaningless as they had hoped it would be. “This isn’t funny and you know it isn’t.” Tim reached out for them quickly, grasping their hand in his. Jon tried to pull back but his grip was unrelenting; desperate even. “You know me. You remember me, right?” They did their best to keep their expression as blank as they could; as confused as they could. But it was hard. It was practically a Herculean task to act like they didn’t know someone they had once loved unconditionally. “This...This has to be it. Something happened and you’ve just forgotten us! But we can help you! We’re going to help you!” 

“I’m sorry. I-” Now Jon really couldn’t hide their panic. Seeing the Toy Soldier was one thing and seeing Gunpowder Tim was another but if they saw all of them at once...They had no idea what they would do or how they would handle it. But it seemed they didn’t need to think on it for much longer as the door quickly opened. 

“Jon, Martin was worried so I- Oh. Am I interrupting something…?”  _ Tim _ . More specifically, Timothy Stoker.  _ Their Tim _ . Jon had never been so relieved to hear his voice before. It seemed Tim had noticed the way Gunpowder Tim was holding their arm. “Should I go…?” 

Gunpowder Tim seemed thrown off by the newcomer. So much so that Jon managed to pull their arm back. “No! Just...Just a case of mistaken identity, Tim. I was just heading back inside anyways.” They cleared their throat. “You said Martin was worried?” With that, Jon followed Tim back inside. They pretended not to notice as Gunpowder Tim made one final effort to reach out to them but he didn’t follow them inside. He just stood there as if he couldn’t entirely understand what had just happened. 

“You were gone for a while.” Tim - work Tim - kept glancing over at them as they walked. “The show’s starting up again so Martin asked me if I’d check on you. I think he was worried about looking like he was hovering.” Jon managed a shaky laugh at that, relaxing as Tim wrapped an arm around their shoulders. “But mistaken identity sounds about right. You never seem like you have the best luck in the world.” If only he knew...Just like that, the tension and worry was gone. Tim was good for that; good at making everything seem like it was going to be okay. Jon suspected that it had something to do with how hard Tim himself was trying to act like he was okay. 

Jon spent the rest of the concert practically hiding themself in Martin’s side. Martin was safe; he was close, and he also didn’t seem to mind the iron grip Jon had on his hand. They didn’t enjoy the second hand as much as they could have. They were too wound up by seeing Tim to fully relax. They also couldn’t help but notice the way each member of the band glanced around the room as they performed. Jon knew they weren’t just taking in the audience; they were looking for someone - they were looking for Lyfrassir Edda. The darkness of the club was enough to hide Jon from them. It was enough to stop them being found. 

Even after the concert, Jon couldn’t find it within themself to relax. If they had learnt one thing from travelling amongst a band of immortal space pirates, it was that the lot of them were  _ stubborn bastards _ . If they wanted to find Lyf then none of them would stop until they were found. After all, time meant very little to immortals - particularly those that gave no care to the consequences of any collateral damage they would cause in the wake of their search. Martin was understanding, supplying Jon with what seemed like an endless stream of hugs and kisses every time he decided that they definitely needed one (which was probably more than necessary but Jon was by no means complaining). Sasha and Tim seemed content enough to put Jon’s anxiousness down to stress. And Elias...Elias had taken to watching them more closely. He always looked at them as if he  _ Knew  _ exactly what they were thinking or exactly what they were going through. It was...unsettling, actually. 

Dealing with Elias in general was unsettling. 

Still, Jon forced themself to offer a polite smile when Elias walked into their office. After all, he was still (tragically) their boss. “Elias. What can I do for you today?” They moved as if they had been working on organising paperwork and not just wallowing within the madness that seemed to be their life. 

“Oh nothing really.” Both Jon and Elias knew that was a lie. “I merely wanted to check in and see how you were doing. After all, we can’t have our archivist overworking themself.” Something about how he said the words made Jon uneasy. That uneasiness only grew with the smile Elias gave them. It was quite frankly chilling and almost unnatural. Jon didn’t like it at all. “As the head of the institute, the well-being of my employees is important to me.” Jon did their best not to snort at that. They sat up a little straighter in their seat, staring Elias did in the eyes. “I overheard Sasha mentioning that you’ve seemed stressed recently and I just wanted to check in in case it was work related? I’m always here to help if it's needed.” 

Okay so Elias definitely won the award for world’s creepiest boss by miles. “The concern is appreciated.” It wasn’t. “But I think Sasha may have been worrying over nothing. It’s mostly personal related things. Things have been going well at work. I’ll let you know if there are any issues, though.” They wouldn’t. 

Elias nodded once, slowly and concise. “Of course. As long as you’re doing okay,  _ Jon _ .” There was almost something accusatory in how he said their name. But Elias couldn’t know it was false.  _ There was no possible way he could know it was false _ . It was impossible! Next to no one knew their old name and none of them were the sort to tell Elias. Finally, he turned to leave and Jon let out a breath they hadn’t realised they had been holding. “Oh! I almost forgot! Someone should be stopping by to give a statement later. Have a good day,  _ Jon _ .” There he was emphasising their name again and Jon wanted to  _ scream _ . 

In the time between Elias leaving and the statement giver arriving, Jon had time for one cup of tea and exactly four kisses from Martin (accompanied by a long hug). It was enough to put them in a relatively good mood as the woman stepped into the office. They tried to give a sincere smile as the office door opened and the woman stepped inside. “Please have a seat, Ms- Georgie?!” To say they were thrown off would be an understatement. 

“Jon. It’s been a while. The Admiral misses you.” There in all of her glory stood Georgie Baker. Jon’s ex-girlfriend, their first friend on Earth, and the co-owner of their cat. She was also the first person to work out they weren’t entirely human. Jon hadn’t actually told her at first. But apparently they didn’t display the most human mannerisms when the two had first moved in together. So naturally, she had called them out on it and just as naturally, she had accepted that her partner was in fact an alien. Apparently it took a lot to truly shock a woman that ran a ghost podcast. “...They’re one hell of a band, huh?” 

And just like that, they knew  _ exactly _ who she had come to make a statement about. Without even thinking about it, Jon stepped around the desk and moved to hug her tightly. Georgie didn’t seem to hesitate before returning the hugs. Her hugs were different from Martin’s but they still felt like home; they still made Jon feel loved - even if it was just platonically. “Georgie.” Jon repeated her name softly. “They’re...They’re not supposed to be here.  _ I wasn’t supposed to see them again _ .” 

“I know.” There was a sincerity in her voice that Jon so desperately needed to hear. “I’m sorry.” Jon rested his head against her slightly. “If it helps, I have full intentions of getting you unbelievably drunk after this?” 

Jon managed a laugh at that. “As long as you don’t make me drunkenly watch Mamma Mia again.” 

She let out a gasp of mock horror. “Jonathan Sims, what is the point of getting you drunk if I don’t get to hear you declare yourself the Dancing Queen?!” Georgie pouted for a moment before sighing. “...Shall we?” 

Jon made a gesture for her to sit down before doing so themself and pressing play on the tape recorder. They didn’t question why it was there. They just knew it would be. One always conveniently was when it came to taking statements. “Statement of Georgie Barker regarding...?"

“A resurrection at a steampunk concert.” 

“Right.” Jon cleared their throat. “Statement of Georgie Barker, regarding a resurrection at a steampunk concert. Statement taken directly from subject on October 26th, 2016 by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London. Statement begins.” 

Georgie hesitated for a moment before she began to speak. “I wouldn’t have even known about the concert if it wasn’t for Melanie. Melanie King, that is. She runs the Ghost Hunt Uk YouTube channel. We met at an event a few years ago and have been friends ever since.” Jon nodded slowly. They were more than aware of Melanie, still remembering when she came in to give a statement. “We’ve been planning on doing more things together - hanging out more, that is.” They smiled when they noticed the slight blush on Georgie’s cheeks.  _ Oh, they were going to tease her relentlessly about this later _ . “So I didn’t really think much about it when she asked me to go see a concert with her. I was ready to say yes before she had even told me the band name! But then she did and I was...a little thrown off. The Mechanisms. I’d heard of them, of course. Even listened to some of their music before. But I hadn’t planned on ever seeing them perform live" 

She paused for a moment; as if looking for Jon’s approval before continuing. They nodded slowly. “Well, I’ve heard things about their concerts before but I never expected...this. Maybe a bar brawl at worst or a heated argument at best. Nothing  _ too _ serious.” Jon closed their eyes for a brief moment. They knew exactly how violent the Mechanisms could get at their gigs - They’d seen it happen live more than once. “Things were going well, at first. The music was good! It was..uh...it was some retelling of Norse mythology in some Sci-Fi setting.” She paused to mouth ‘I’m sorry’. Georgie had told her their name and story before. She knew the real story behind the album. 

“Melanie had been buying us drinks and there had been a bit of drunken flirting. Then came the interval. Some of the band members seemed to be arguing amongst themselves and it was getting pretty heated. None of them were close enough to actually  _ hear _ what they were arguing about. But you didn’t have to hear it to see the guitarist take out what I had assumed to be a prop gun and shoot the lead singer point blank.” Yeah, that sounded about right for Tim. “Everyone was starting to panic when he just sat upright with a bullet hole still in the centre of his head and laughed, before shooting the guitarist in retaliation.” That definitely sounded right for Jonny. Jon was certain he and Tim had a daily quota for the amount of times they needed to shoot each other at this point. “After that, everyone just put it down to some fancy special effects as part of the show but...but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t special effects. It was too real for that. The shot went clean through the singer’s head. Special effects couldn’t replicate something like that.  _ They couldn’t! _ Nothing could!” Georgie did her best to at least pretend to sound hysterical at the end. She knew about the band’s nature as immortal. 

“Right. Well. Thank you, Ms. Baker. Statement ends.” Jon didn’t offer any comments or follow up. They couldn’t. Not for this. Never for this. They just pressed stop on the tape recorder. 

Georgie sighed. “Right. With that over, you are leaving work early and we are raiding Tesco for many bottles of their cheapest wine.” 

They laughed softly. “Something tells me I’m going to regret this tomorrow.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know y'all wanted Marius but I promise he'll be here s o o n. Just a note; I have no idea how much I'm going to update in October. I'm writing 41 fics over 2 writing challenges and working on a multi-chapter fic for the TMA Big Bang, along with uni work. So I'm not sure how much time I'll have for writing this fic but I'll update as often as I can! As always, comments and kudos are appreciated!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is also known as; I finally give everyone what they've been asking for!

Any who heard it would attest to the fact Jonathan Sims’s drunken singing along to Dancing Queen was about as in tune as a screaming cat. Even then, the Admiral could still hold a better tune than them any day of the week. Though, after the generous amount of wine provided by Georgie, Jon didn’t entirely care about any interpretations of their singing! In fact, they would have been perfectly content in continuing to do so until the early hours of the morning if someone let them! Somewhere within the drunken stupor, a message had been sent into the work group chat inviting the others over to Georgie’s. In all honesty, they couldn’t remember much after Sasha showed up. Everything was far too fuzzy after that for them to try and make sense of. But after everything that happened, they deserved to get a little bit blackout drunk. As a treat. 

They may not have remembered what happened that night but they certainly felt its aftereffects. Jon woke up amidst a cuddle pile with a headache that felt as if a jackhammer were being drilled directly into the side of their head. How... _ wonderful _ . They currently found themself sprawled across Martin’s chest with Tim and Sasha hugging them from each side. It was...nice and  _ Gods, they really were touch-starved _ . It was nice. It was  _ domestic _ . Even if they were only dating Martin, there was always something comforting in being held by those they cared for; being reminded that they were real. There were real people that they cared about still. Not everything good in the universe had been destroyed by the Bifrost. Things weren’t entirely terrible. Though, Jon couldn’t help but note that someone was missing from the cuddle pile. Georgie. But that didn’t entirely surprise them. She had always been a morning person. It was entirely unrelatable. Jon hated early mornings - even if they were no longer entirely sure why. On Midgard, it had been an instinctive response to the knowledge that they would have to spend the day dealing with the three most unruly prisoners Lyfrassir Edda had ever met. Back then, Lyf had despised the very concept of Marius von Raum’s existence but...oh, how the tables had turned. Maybe their hatred of the morning had simply carried on from then. Maybe it had just become an unbreakable habit. 

“I hope you’re aware that you look positively adorable right now.” Georgie laughed as she watched Jon’s poor attempt at flipping her off. It wasn’t exactly easy for them to move within the pile. They glanced up to watch her leaning against the wall with a mugin her hands. “I would offer you a cup of coffee but I think you’re a little too stuck to drink it.” She arched an eyebrow. “I can, however, offer you a glass of water and painkillers. God knows you probably need them.” 

“Georgie Barker, you are a heaven sent.” Jon gladly accepted both the water and the painkillers. They’d admit that perhaps they had drunk a  _ tad _ excessively the previous night and the hangover was very much making itself known. Paracetamol really was the cure to most problems. After taking them, Jon made the executive decision of going back to sleep. It was what they deserved in these trying times. Besides, Martin’s chest made an excellent pillow and they were very much content with their friends using them as their personal teddy bear. It made Jon feel  _ wanted _ . So they slept peacefully. 

When they woke up again, it was to find themself laying on Georgie’s sofa with someone playing with their hair and a weight on their chest. It didn’t take long to identify the weight as the Admiral. He always had deemed them his favourite napping spot. As upset as they initially were to find themself no longer resting against Martin’s chest, it quickly faded when they opened their eyes. Martin was the one playing with their hair, gently running his fingers through it with a fond smile on his face.  _ Gods _ , could he get any more perfect? They were happy to keep pretending to be asleep; if only because it meant Martin would keep playing with his hair. Unfortunately, it seemed Martin noticed him move. 

“Did you know that you’re positively adorable when you’re drunk?” He teased, not moving his hands away from Jon’s hair. “Very affectionate too.” Jon felt their face heat up as they stared up at him. “Made sure everyone was complimented and felt loved!” They groaned, causing Martin to laugh.  _ His laugh was pretty too _ . Jon really was hopelessly in love. 

Jon closed their eyes again, deeming the room far too bright for hungover eyes. “...Please tell me that’s the only thing I did whilst drunk.” They knew they also had the ability to...overshare whilst drinking. There had been more than one occasion where excessive alcohol had led to their most embarrassing stories becoming public knowledge. They really weren’t overly keen to have it happen again. Especially when they had the smallest fragment of a reputation to uphold! 

Martin grew quiet  _ and that really wasn’t a good sign _ . “You told Tim and Sasha.” Jon’s breath hitched in their throat. Oh no. “You...you told them everything. Though, I’m not sure how much they believed? You were really gone, love. I’m sorry.” Nothing but sincerity filled his voice. 

“...I suppose it’s as good a time to explain as any. They would have found out eventually.” Jon mumbled, reluctantly moving to sit up. They were quick to snuggle up close to Martin. It was hard to worry when they were close to him. “Think Tim will wait until I’m less hungover to ask for an explanation?” 

“Not a chance, love.” 

Jon groaned quietly. “Thought as much.” That was how they found themself ruthlessly hungover, clutching a cup of coffee, and doing their best to explain the Yggdrasil system. Naturally, both Tim and Sasha had their questions. Most of Sasha’s were pragmatic whilst Tim’s bordered on absurd. But it was...nice to be able to talk about Midgard fondly; to talk about the simpler parts of life that hadn’t been corrupt and tainted. Jon couldn’t remember the last time they had talked about their home so casually. They hadn’t realised how much they had needed it. 

Things held some sort of normality after that. Tim took it upon himself to make as many alien jokes as possible when he was in the vicinity of Jon. Sasha never hesitated to ask him any questions she had. And Martin? Martin was just as supportive as ever. Jon also had (thankfully) yet to hear from the Mechanisms again. But their luck was doomed to run out quickly and it did. Exactly three days later. 

They had been finishing up taking a statement. The woman giving it - Dahlia Wyrick - was as sweet as she was airheaded. The statement revolved around a killer plant. Something deep inside of Jon questioned its validity. Perhaps she had merely just had a drunken viewing of Little Shop of Horrors? Still, Jon didn’t openly criticise her. The statement may have been false but her fear was clearly real. They offered her a small smile as she finished. “...Are you sure you’ll be alright getting home on your own? You seem a tad...shaken.”

The woman nodded sharply with a few strands of bright blue falling into her face. Jon was always...fascinated by hair dye. They had been back on Midgard too. The expression it gave; letting your hair define you and your emotions. In their teenage years, they themself had been partial to pink dye. “I think I’ll be fine.” She assured softly. “My bro- friend, Jes, is waiting for me outside.” Jon nodded before moving to escort her out of their office. They couldn’t explain how but they just  _ Knew  _ the statement hadn’t been real. It was as if something inside of them was informing them all of the ways it was wrong. And quite frankly? It was a tad unnerving. 

As Jon opened their office door, a sinking feeling filled their stomach. There were three people in the Archives that definitely weren’t their assistants.  _ Three people that were extremely familiar.  _ Ivy Alexandria. Raphaella la Cognizi. Marius von Raum. The last name in particular left their stomach in knots. No sooner had Ms Wyrick left did they push their way into Jon’s office. “C-Can I help y-“

“Don’t.” Raphaella’s voice was harsher than they had ever heard it before. It held a mixture of anger and relief. “Don’t keep pretending, Lyfrassir!” They couldn’t stop themself from flinching at their name. “Don’t you dare fucking pretend not to recognise us.” Her words were followed by a hug as her arms wrapped tightly around them. 

Jon didn’t return the hug but they didn’t pull away. They simply...stood there. “I’m sorry.” What else could they say?  _ What else was there to say? _ Then there were more arms around them. Ivy and Marius. Lyf would be lying if they said they didn’t like it. It was familiar. Still, they couldn’t bring themself to return any of the hugs. “I’m so sorry.”

Ivy let out a small sound of distress. “There was a 0.03% chance you were alive at most. That was the most optimistic statistic yet...here you are.” She glanced down at them with pure confusion. She had always been about logic and Lyf being alive definitely defied it. 

Marius pulled them closer, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around Jon - as if scared they would disappear if he let go. “How, Lyf?” There was a crack in his voice that broke their heart. “You’re  _ mortal _ . Mortals don’t survive falling through an airlock. Unless…” A hopefulness filled his voice and Lyfrassir knew what he was hoping for. Marius was hoping that they were immortal. He was hoping that they were just like the others. 

“I’m not immortal.” Lyfrassir took a deep breath. They were unable to look at any of them. “It’s...It’s easier if you just leave. If you forget about me and I keep acting as if I don’t know you.” They whispered. “It’ll give us all a chance to just…move on.” 

Apparently that had been the wrong thing to say. “Did you ever think that perhaps we didn’t want to move on?!” He snapped, looking at them with utter disbelief. “We  _ loved _ you, Lyf.  _ We still love you _ .” Marius tilted their head towards, forcing them to meet his eyes. “...You can still come home.” 

“I have a home and it’s not the Aurora, Marius. I’m happy here.” Lyf had never seen him look so destroyed before. It broke their heart. He was supposed to just move on! All of them were! They were supposed to be okay! But they...they weren’t and Lyfrassir didn’t know how to handle that. 

Raphaella cleared her throat slightly. “...I think you two need to talk alone.” She sighed. “But we’ll be outside. We’re not leaving you, Lyf. Not with ease.” Both Ivy and Raph pressed a kiss to their forehead before heading back outside. 

Then Lyfrassir and Marius were left alone. 

Their relationship with Marius had always been different to their relationship with the others. Lyfrassir had loved them all dearly but there was something  _ more _ with Marius. There was a love that went just that little bit deeper. They understood each other. Sure, Marius had his many moments of annoying them constantly but it was part of his charm. They had been fond of him on Midgard and that fondness had ohly blossomed. Lyfrassir should have known their death would hit him harshly. They should have known that he wouldn’t just...get over it. But they had tried not to think too much about it; about  _ him.  _ It was easier that way. 

“How?” Lyfrassir wasn’t sure what other question they expected from Marius really. 

Lyf took a deep breath. “I faked my death. I...I convinced Aurora to help me; that it was for the best. I took one of the old escape pods whilst she helped fake me falling through one of the airlocks. Probably helps explain why you never found a body.” They couldn’t meet his eyes. “I really am sorry, Marius. But it’s for the best.” 

“No!” Nothing but certainty filled his voice. Marius pulled them even closer; even tighter. Reluctantly, Lyfrassir found their head resting against his chest. No. They weren’t Lyf anymore. They were Jon. They were someone new. They had a new life now. Lyfrassir Edda no longer existed. Jonathan Sims did. “You don’t get it, Lyfrassir! I...I can’t just move on like you’re nothing! Losing you will never be the best.” 

Jon squeezed their eyes shut tightly - as if it would somehow allow them to block out Marius. “I’m mortal, Marius. I will live and I will grow old and I will die. But you? You’ll always be the same.” They whispered. “I-I can’t live my life like that. At least here, I can live out my life! I have Martin and he’s good, Marius. He’s so good.”

“...Are you happy?”

“Happier than I’ve ever been.” 

Marius nodded slowly at that, sighing. “Let us stay, Lyf. You...You don’t have to love us anymore or want to be with us but  _ please _ . Let us be part of your life.” He pressed a kiss to their hair and Lyfrassir couldn’t stop themself from leaning into it. They tensed up as Marius moved a hand to gently touch the braid in their hair. “...Did...Did Martin do this?” They nodded slowly. “Then I trust that you’re happy with him.” Lyf smiled at that. “...I love you. I can’t help it, but I do.” 

“...I shouldn’t, but I love you too.” The words felt wrong leaving their lips; like some dirty secret they should never have spoken of. “But I love Martin too much to ever go back to what we were before. I’m not  _ entirely _ opposed to all of you staying but I’m not yours anymore, Marius. I need all of you to understand that.” 

“We will.” He answered eagerly, watching them fondly. Jon couldn’t help it. They smiled. Maybe...Maybe the Mechanisms being on Earth wouldn’t be the worst thing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure when it'll be finished but the next chapter is going to be Halloween themed!! Fun fact; Dahlia Wyrick is my character in a TMA-themed MOTW game I'm in! Jes is also another character from the game! 
> 
> Comments and kudos are absolutely always appreciated! Or hmu @ desert-lily on tumblr!!


	5. Coffee Shop Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sasha and Nastya deserve to be friends tbh. A small fun interlude whilst I work on the Halloween chapter.

Sasha wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the Mechanisms. She wasn’t even entirely sure what to make of Jon being an alien, for that matter. It was all rather...unexpected. At least, that was the only word she could use to describe finding out one of your dearest friends used to date a group of immortal space pirates. It was a lot to take in. She had thought things couldn’t get weirder after the Jane Prentiss attack. Worms invading the archives and some of the statements being real  _ surely _ had to be the epitome of strange and unusual. But alas, apparently not! 

For the most part she wasn’t entirely sure how to approach any of the newcomers - particularly when they quickly began to spend time in the archives. They had spent the last two days loitering around. She was mildly surprised Elias hadn’t intervened  _ yet _ . She tried to keep close to her friends and simply...get on with her work. She did her best to simply be practical. And there was absolutely some practicality in avoiding  _ space pirates _ . 

Sasha’s attempts at avoiding all of them were thwarted when one of them sought her out. It took her awhile to realise someone was watching her. In part it was simply due to the fact the feeling of being watched was one already synonymous with working at the Magnus Institute. It was why she was more than a little startled to see the woman staring at home. 

She looked almost ageless in her own way. Then Sasha remembered the part about immortality. As young as she looked, she was definitely older than Sasha. She vaguely remembered Jon introducing her as Nastya. Apparently she was the closest to ‘nice’ as the Mechanisms tended to get (excluding Brian on MJe, but she wasn’t entirely sure what that meant). Sasha cleared her throat. “Can...Can I help you with something?” 

Nastya smiled and it was as much endearing as it was disturbing. “I merely wanted to say hello. Lyfrassir speaks highly of you.” Lyfrassir. Right. Jon’s old name and that really was still something she was trying to wrap her head around. She mentally tried to place the woman’s accent. It sounded Russian but not  _ quite _ . There was something different about it but she couldn’t work out what. “Nastya Rasputina, _ engineer _ on the Aurora.” The way she emphasised ‘engineer’ really made Sasha want to ask questions but she decided against it. Some things were better left unanswered. 

“Sasha James, archival assistant at the Magnus Institute.” She offered her hand for Nastya to shake, trying not to flinch back at the ice cold of the woman’s skin. It was then that she noticed how much the woman was shivering. People weren’t supposed to be that cold, were they? “I..um...I have a jacket if you’re cold? I also think Martin has a jumper laying around somewhere and they’re great for warming up. Quite cozy even.” 

She seemed to pause for a moment. “ A jumper sounds...nice.” Sasha quickly moved to find one before handing it over. Nastya was still watching her. Her eyes only left Sasha for the brief moment she needed to pull the jumper over her head. Sasha couldn’t help but mentally note how adorable the way it drowned her out was. It was endearing. Though, she had a feeling she should probably keep those thoughts to herself. “Thank you.” 

Sasha hesitated for a moment, drumming her fingers against her desk nervously. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but is there something you want? I was in the middle of something…” She gestured to the scattered research notes across her desk. Researching statements was as interesting as it was horrifying. 

She shrugged, leaning over to glance through Sasha’s notes curiously. She thought it best if she didn’t try to stop her. “I wanted to check that Lyfrassir is okay; that they’ve been looking after themself. I would ask their boyfriend but I feel he may be biased.” Sasha let out a soft laugh at that. Martin was beyond biased when it came to Jon. It was mildly sickly the way they adored each other. Though, she supposed her and Tim weren’t much better. “...I also just wanted to get to know one of Lyf’s friends. If we’re going to be staying here for a while, it would be nice to be here with less hostility than usual.” 

“If you exclude the Jane Prentiss incident with the killer worms, they’ve been okay. We all make sure to look out for each other.” Sasha smiled fondly at that. In their own way, they were like a family. A bunch of siblings she’d never realised she wanted. Though, Elias wasn’t included in that. Quite frankly, Elias Bouchard could get fucked. “And as for being friends...There’s a Costa down the road. It’s a lot warmer than the archives and it does a pretty good hot chocolate.” 

That was how Sasha found herself drinking hot chocolate in a tall glass, and eating lunch with her new friend (who happened to be an immortal space pirate). It was surprisingly nice. Sasha talked about Tim whilst Nastya explained what it was like dating a spaceship. And honestly? It was less weird than she had expected. Naturally, they both eagerly traded embarrassing stories about Jon. It was always nice to have blackmail over your friends and Nastya seemed to agree. Sasha had a feeling the two were going to be good friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be the last update until the 31st because the Halloween chapter is going to be Big and mildly spooky. (No spoilers but the Jonmartin costumes are mysterious and spooky - all together ooky). There will be many Halloween shenanigans. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are deeply appreciated!! Or hmu @ desert-lily on tumblr


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! This chapter is a little bit shorter than I'd hoped but I hope you enjoy it anyways!!

Jon would never admit it but they found an odd charm to Halloween. It was spooky. It was creepy. It was  _ fun _ . It was by far one of their favourite traditions on Earth - even if they had been celebrating it long before their arrival on the planet. The Mechanisms had always used the day as an excuse to be even more dramatic than usual. They went all out on costumes and it was always a competition to see who could come up with the worst ghost story. After all when your life revolved around grand stories, the more ridiculous ones held their charm. They were memories Jon looked back on fondly. They were memories Jon treasured dearly. 

They knew that working at the Magnus Institute probably should have changed their view of Halloween but it oddly...didn’t. Regardless of how much they dealt with the creepy and unusual every day, Jon was excited! So much so that Martin had been teasing them relentlessly for the past few days. It was a teasing only made worse by the fact they had willingly let the Mechanisms back into their life. As it turns out, a bonus of living for millenia was that it gave you an excessive amount of chances to perfect your conversational skills - including when it came to teasing. It also didn’t help that each of them were loaded with verbal ammunition via the embarrassing moments that had occurred whilst Jon travelled with them. 

In an odd way, being the Archivist made celebrating Halloween just that little bit more relaxing. No matter what they dressed up as or how many scary films they watched, Jon knew none of it would ever be more horrifying than reality. Even if that thought was a tad unsettling. 

Georgie had designated her flat as the setting of that year’s Halloween party. She had also demanded that Jon bring their many exes with them, leaving absolutely no room for arguing. Jon had long since learnt never to argue with Georgie Barker. It would never be an argument they had much chance of winning. They were looking forward to it, though. It would be the closest to normal any of them could get anymore. It was an added bonus that Tim had informed them that Martin was apparently adorable when drunk. 

Speaking of Martin...Jon wasn’t entirely sure  _ how _ but Martin had somehow convinced them to do a couple’s costume for Georgie’s party. Jon was hesitant at first but seeing Martin dressed as Gomez easily got rid of any hesitance. It also helped that Jon’s Morticia dress was extremely comfortable. They also assumed it suited them given how flustered Martin had gotten in response. Quite frankly, it gave Jon a spark of confidence they hadn’t had in a long time. Besides, they were going to be spending the night amongst their closest friends (along with a large group of their exes). There was no real reason for them to be self-conscious. No one was going to judge them for being themself. There was nothing for them to hide. 

Still, Jon kept their coat wrapped tightly around themself the entire walk to Georgie’s, tucking themself slightly into Martin’s side as they did. To his credit, Martin just pulled them close as he kept an arm wrapped around Jon. It was reassuring, in its own way. There was always something soothing about being close to him. Not in the way that they had once felt towards the Mechanisms. No, this was something that was entirely Martin. A warm feeling that just let them know they were cared about; they were loved. It always made them fall in love with him just that little more - even if their entire heart did already belong to him. That reason alone was enough to keep Jon smiling as they entered the familiar apartment building and attempted to climb the steps up to Georgie’s apartment. That was, of course, until Martin decided to carry them, claiming that he needed to make sure they didn’t trip on their dress. Not that Jon would ever complain about being in Martin’s arms. 

As it turned out, Tim and Sasha had beaten them to the party. Georgie was loitering with an arm wrapped around Melanie King. Though, Jon had a feeling Melanie had been there long before the party started. They made a mental note to ask her about it later. Because there was  _ definitely _ a story there and Jon prided themself on being unbelievably nosey. It was a perfect valid skill to have as an archivist! Still, Jon couldn’t help but notice the large amount of people missing. Well, perhaps ‘large’ was a relative term. But it was definitely over half of them. Though, Jon knew the Mechanisms long enough to know they never worked at anyone’s pace but their own. If all nine of them did show up, it would most certainly be late and bringing chaos with them. 

But Jon didn’t get time to think about their exes for long. Their thoughts were cut off by a loud wolf whistle as they felt their face go bright red. Though, they were quick to roll their eyes when they realised it came from Tim. Him and Sasha had decided not to go with a couple’s costume but they’d both still gone all out. Sasha made an incredible Dracula and quite frankly, Tim’s choice to dress as a sexy minion was emotionally jarring. “And here I was thinking I was going to be the hottest one here this evening.” Jon snorted as Tim let out an over dramatic sigh. “But you’re looking good, boss. The V-neck on the dress suits you.” Their response was to just hide their face in Martin’s shoulder. 

“Don’t be mean! Unlike you, they’ve only just got here.” Georgie hit Tim lightly as she passed him. Neither Georgie nor Melanie had put much effort into their costumes. Both going as a witch. Jon couldn’t help but laugh when they read what was written across Georgie’s shirt; Just Witches Being Bitches. “Even if Jon does look  _ stunning _ in that dress.” They flipped her off as she stuck her tongue out at them. “Now onto the most important part of the evening; terrible music, even worse films, and drinking games.” 

A unanimous decision had been made to put off the drinking games until later - if only because they all knew playing Ring of Fire would leave them far too drunk to do much else. Thus the six of them found themself mildly sprawled over each other amidst a marathon of questionable horror films. And Jon absolutely was  _ not _ terrified whilst watching  _ Nightmare On Elm Street _ ! Absolutely not! Even if their iron grip on Martin’s hand suggested otherwise. They were halfway through the film and very much engrossed when the door to Georgie’s flat slammed open. Without even the smallest hint of grace, Jon found themself jolting and falling off the sofa. Ah. It seemed the others had finally arrived. 

“The lot of you are paying for any damages for kicking in my door!” Georgie’s threat went unnoticed as the nine trickled into the room. Jon almost laughed. They’d decided to go as each other and it was certainly an...experience to look at. It was always their go to costume but it had never failed to make Lyfrassir smile at the ridiculousness of it. “You’d think immortals would at least known some sort of decorum or manners!” And there was Georgie Barker, fearless and giving less than a singular fuck in regards to talking back to space pirates. 

“Sorry.” Unsurprisingly, Ashes sound almost apathetic as they spoke. It was very rare that Jon had ever heard them speak the word and actually mean it. Still, there was some tension in the room, broken only by Freddy Kreugar brutally murdering someone in the background. “I’ve just always found knocking a bit boring.” Ashes found just about anything that wasn’t playing cards or committing mass arson boring. 

All thoughts of finishing the film disappeared as they entered a strange standstill. It was still slightly jarring for Jon; watching the two different sides of their life come together all at once. It was one thing they had never thought possible. Everyone  _ seemed _ to at least get on. Though, Jon was mildly concerned about how easily Melanie and Gunpowder Tim were getting along. They didn’t know Melanie well outside of her statements but they knew Georgie wouldn’t settle for just  _ anyone _ , and Tim was...Tim. Chaos would certainly come from putting the two of them together. 

Jon was pulled out of their thoughts by someone grabbing them. Their first thought was to flinch back until they realised  _ whose _ hands they were and whose lips it was that came crashing down on their own. Whilst Tim’s brutal kiss had been possessive, Jonny’s was positively feral. Jonny d’Ville. The one Jon had been making the most active effort to avoid. If only, because they didn’t want to admit they had stolen his name. But Jonny...Jonny was the most unexpected of them all. He was unpredictable in every possible way. Some days, he would be calm and others he would seem to have an almost animalistic need for violence. “I fucking hate you, Lyfrassir.” The words caused them to laugh. They couldn’t help it! And soon enough, Jonny joined in too. It wasn’t his usual laugh. There was nothing mad or manic about it. It was soft. Fond, even. 

“I’d try and apologise but we both know I wouldn’t mean it.” Lyfrassir tensed up as they felt Jonny’s arms move to tighten around them before realising  _ oh, he was hugging them _ . That was...unexpected. To call Jonny’s hugs rare would be an understatement. He rarely showed physical affection - least of all publicly. But he gave good hugs. Perhaps not as good as Martin’s hugs but hugs from Jonny meant a lot. They meant that he actually cared; that somehow he’d had the capacity to miss them. “Careful, d’Ville. Someone might mistake you for having the ability to be nice.” Lyf tugged at his jacket slightly. It was almost comical seeing Jonny dressed as the Toy Soldier but it was also surprisingly...cute. Though, Lyfrassir would never dare say that outloud. They didn’t have an active death wish. 

“Oh shut the fuck up, Edda.” The two dissolved into casual conversation after that, or as casual as their conversation could get. Jonny was telling them about the latest madness he and the others had gotten themselves into with glee. Lyf knew they should probably be more horrified by the gruesome details than they were but quite frankly? They were just numb to it at this point. Eventually, Jonny stopped talking in order to smirk. “As much as I love hoarding you, I think someone may be getting jealous.” He gestured with his head. 

Jon glanced over to see Martin making his way over to them from where he’d be talking to Brian. Ah, he must have been in boring mode. Nice mode! MJE mode. Hel, one conversation with Jonny and they were already copying his bad habits. Still, they couldn’t stop themself from smiling. Martin really did make a  _ spectacular _ Gomez and Jon was enjoying every second of it. They let out a soft hum as they felt his arm wrap around their waste. “Everything okay?”    


“Of course.” He pressed a kiss to their forehead, pulling them a little closer. Jon smiled slightly. They’d never seen Martin possessive or jealous before. It was certainly new but it wasn’t necessarily a bad look on him. There was no such thing as a bad look when it came to Martin. “I was just missing my wonderful partner.” Jonny tried to roll his eyes but Lyf just responded by kicking him in his shin. “I do in fact have a daily quota of the amount of times I need to tell you I love you, Jon.” Their face went bright red at that. “So, I love you.” 

As always, Jonny couldn’t let anyone have anything nice. “I’m still not over the fact you stole my name.” He snorted, raising an eyebrow. “Needed something to miss me by?” 

“No, I just thought the name needed some positive connotations before you ruined it entirely.” They were quick to retort, as they rested their head against Martin. “I th-” 

They were cut off by Melanie shouting to get everyone’s attention. “This is  _ supposed _ to be a party but you’re all being boring and too sober!” That certainly caught everyone’s attention. “As the girlfriend of our breathtaking host, it’s my duty to get things going. So, I highly suggest everyone picks their poison so things can get interesting.” At the copious bottles of alcohol that covered Georgie’s kitchen table, Jon couldn’t help but ponder if they’d just robbed an off-license. Still, they found themself picking up a large bottle of dark cherry VK. It was cheap as hell but they were a sucker for fruity drinks. 

Jon didn’t pay much attention as Melanie explained the rules of Ring of Fire. They’d been to enough uni parties to know them off by heart. Though, they did have some concern over the decision to play with two packs of cards. After all, 104 cards was a  _ lot _ between fifteen people. Even if the Toy Soldier only had an empty glass instead of a bottle like the rest of them. It liked to be included and honestly, who were any of them to deny it that? In the middle of the table sat an empty pitcher. 

Melanie had barely finished speaking before Nastya spoke up. A slight smirk crossed her face as she shared a look with Sasha. Unsurprisingly, her drink of choice was vodka. Even if Jon had heard her complain more than once about the terrible quality of Earth vodka in comparison to Cyberian vodka. “Drawing a four means men drink and drawing a six means women drink?” She waited for Melanie to nod before continuing. “We have three people without gender at the table. As such, I propose that they have to drink for both cards.” 

Before either Jon or Ashes had the chance to complain (for the Toy Soldier most certainly wouldn’t), Melanie was grinning like an idiot. “Oh absolutely.” Jon wanted to scream. This was already going to go Terribly. “Let the games begin!” 

The game was going fine until Gunpowder Tim drew the Jack of Hearts.  _ Jack: Create a rule of your choice. Everyone in the game has to obey it. If they disobey, they drink _ . Whatever it was going to be, it was going to a mess. Jonny had already added the rule that everybody had to drink twice. It was only made worse by the fact Tim was far beyond tipsy. “I pro-propose that before anyone drinks, they have to either smooch our  _ lovely _ Lyfrassir or give them a compliment!” Jon felt their entire face go red at that, spreading from their cheeks all the way up to their ears. “No exceptions! Most important rule of the game!” 

That was how Jon found themself smothered with kisses ranging from small kisses on the cheek (Sasha) and full blown snogging (Jonny, and surprisingly a drunken Martin. He seemed even more affectionate whilst drunk). It was also accompanied by a multitude of drunken compliments that made little to no sense - including the ones Jon gave themself. It was mostly nonsense but nonsense said with love. 

Then it got to the point where there were only a few cards left. Amongst them was the last king. Seven more had already been played. During the game, a multitude of everyone’s drinks had been born into the pitcher to make an ungodly concoction. Whoever drew the last king had to down it all. Jon drew a card and groaned. The King of Spades. It may not have been the Ace of Spades but it was just as unlucky. “Fuck.” 

At least everyone had the decency to cheer them on as they tried to down it all. “We like to drink with Jon because Jon is our mate! And when we drink with Jon, they down it all in eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!” For some of them, Jon had been switched out for ‘Lyf’. Still, they by no means managed to finish the pitcher but they did down a lot of it. The mix of a variety of drinks of different strengths hit them like a tonne of bricks. It was by far the drunkest they had been since their university years. Which was saying something as Jon had been very avid about trying to test their limits when it came to alcohol on Earth to the point of many wonderful nights out that were now lost to memory. Though, Georgie had an endless list of stories about them being dramatic and overly affectionate whilst drunk. Apparently drunk Jon was just unbelievably sappy and ‘adorable’. Though, they would continue to dispute that label at any given opportunity. Even if everyone just ignored them when they did. 

The night grew slightly blurry after that but they remembered having fun. They remembered being surrounded by everyone they cared about. They remembered being happy. It was probably the best Halloween they’d had in a long time. Everyone they cared about seemed to get along and they had attempted to bond with Georgie’s girlfriend during Ring of Fire. Even if Melanie was the reason they ended up rip-roaringly drunk.

They were also all excuses they used to try and justify the fact their hangover left them sick as Hel the next day. But it had been worth it! Maybe. Probably. Probably not. Still, they had woken up in a cuddle pile between Martin and Marius, and honestly? That did make them feel just a little bit better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments always fuel me to write more! Or check me out @ desert-lily on tumblr!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason this chapter took so long is that I became deeply invested in Animal Crossing

Jon’s day had started relatively normally. They had woken up (as always) curled neatly into Martin’s side. There was nothing that brought them more joy than knowing they could wake up next to him every day; that the first thing they saw in the morning would always be his face. It was practically perfection. Then again, everything involving Martin was. Though, it also made Jon entirely unwilling to get up in the morning. Why would they want to drag themself all the way to the archives when they could just spend their day curled up with their boyfriend? It was a sentiment they voiced when Martin tried to sit up. 

“No.” 

To his credit, Martin just laughed. “As much as I do love being your personal teddy bear, we do have work.” He pressed a kiss to their forehead and Jon practically curled up against him. Gods, everything he did made them unbelievably soft. It was terrible! Any semblance of a reputation Jon hoped to maintain was ruined simply by the fact they loved Martin Blackwood without question and honestly? It was worth every second. They were more certain about that than they were about anything else in their life. Right. No. They were being sappy. It was far too early to be emotional. “Come on. I’ll even make breakfast, because you  _ are _ eating breakfast, Jon.” 

With an overdramatic whine, they dragged themself out of the bed. Now they were no longer leeching off of Martin’s warmth, it hit them as to just how cold it had been getting. With everything else going on, the change in weather hadn’t entirely been something they had spared much thought about. Immortal space pirate exes turning up out of nowhere definitely took precedence over it getting a bit more cold and nippy outside. Not to mention the archives could barely be considered warm on a good day (a fact Nastya regularly used as a reason to stay away - though, she still joined Sasha on her lunch break at least once a week). That left Jon with the issue that they weren’t entirely prepared for the weather and only one solution; stealing clothes from their boyfriend. Martin’s jumpers were over-sized warm and comfortable; a perfect combination for preventing them becoming a Jonsicle (Lyfrasicle?). 

By the time they stumbled into the kitchen, Martin had a cup of tea waiting for them as he got to work on breakfast. Truly, he was an absolute  _ angel _ . Jon had yet to understand how someone could function that early. “...Love you.” They mumbled before taking a long sip from their tea. It wouldn’t wake them up like coffee would but Jon was never one to turn away a good cup of tea.  _ Fuck _ . They really were that one person just so sickly sweet with how much they loved their partner. Though, out of the many things they were, that was probably the least problematic. 

Breakfast was  _ wonderful _ and taking the tube was surprisingly less stressful than usual. It was a  _ nice day _ , leaving Jon in surprisingly high spirits as they walked into the institute. Though, their smile wavered slightly at the sight they were greeted with. Right. No. They were back on their regularly scheduled bullshit. Rosie was at the front desk as usual, but she wasn’t doing paperwork. Instead, she was flushed bright red whilst deep in conversation with Ashes. Jon partially wanted to see it play out and partially knew they should intervene. Whilst Rosie  _ definitely _ deserved a break, Ashes was...well, Ashes. 

Murmuring to Martin to go ahead without them, they reluctantly moved to intervene. “As wonderful as it is to see you making  _ friends _ , the archives are in fact this way.” Jon rested a hand on their arm as an amused smile broke out on Ashes’ face. “I’m sure Rosie has work she needs to get up with - unfortunately.” 

“Everyone deserves a break.” They seemed entirely unapologetic. “Especially someone so pretty.” Ashes winked as Rosie’s face went bright red. “You may not be aware of it, but socialising  _ is _ important, Jon.” They very much noticed how Ashes crinkled their nose as they used the name. None of the Mechs were overly fond of calling them anything other than Lyfrassir. Mostly because Jonny was an asshole most of the time (and by ‘most’, they meant ‘all’). 

Rosie cleared her throat slightly, looking down with a smile. “I-I appreciate the intervention but it wasn’t necessary. We were simply having a very...engaging conversation.” Jon had a feeling they really didn’t want to know what ‘engaging’ meant and thankfully neither Rosie or Ashes offered an explanation. 

They sighed. “As riveting as I’m sure that conversation is, there is work to do in the archives.” Jon offered their hand to Ashes. “So shall we?” 

“I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.” Ashes gave Rosie a wink before they accepted Jon’s hand. They were half way down the stairs to the archives when they spoke again. “Y’know, jealousy is a surprisingly good look on you.” 

“I am  _ not _ jealous!” They sputtered with a huff. “Not even remotely! I just think there should be a level of professionalism if you all insist on joining me in the archives!” Jon’s words did nothing to hide the bright red blush that seemed to stretch all the way to their ears. That was something Ashes seemed to take great satisfaction from. It was also why they made a beeline directly to their office once they reached the archives. 

Jon wasn’t sure why they read the statement of Sampson Kempthorne. It was 175 years old! Hardly new and hardly relevant! Only...they felt drawn to it. That was how they felt towards most statements these days; as if something was calling for them to read them. They all followed the same pattern too. Not a single one would record digitally. Instead, it was forced to become confined within a cassette tape. A tad old fashioned - not as much so as the statement, but still perhaps a little fitting.

The statement was...interesting in that it was a letter to the institute’s founder Jonah Magnus, but also in that it was yet another statement mentioning Robert Smirke. If it were anyone else then Jon doubted they would hold as much interest. But Smirke had designed Millbank prison that the Magnus Institute had been built upon. Not to mention Tim’s fascination with the man. They would have to ask him about it sometime. After all, they had yet to find any direct link between Smirke and the supernatural, but Jon had also begun to learn that there was no such thing as a coincidence. 

Not that they got to think about it for long. They had barely said the words ‘end recording’ before their office door was opened. It wasn’t an entirely unusual occurrence - after all, Martin regularly came in with tea for them. What was unusual was the fact Martin wasn’t alone. Following behind him were Ivy and Ashes. An odd combination really. Also a combination they weren’t entirely sure they trusted in the archives. Ashes was a notorious pyromaniac and Ivy...Ivy had voiced her distaste for the archives and its questionable methods of organisation more than once before. The two would have most likely burnt the place to the ground if not for Ivy’s deep-rooted need to preserve knowledge. 

They sat up a little straighter as they moved to address the ensemble. “Whilst I am not opposed to seeing you all, I am a tad surprised.” Jon admitted, glancing between the three. “Is something the matter or is there something I can help you with?” 

Naturally, it was Ashes who spoke first. What a shock that they had decided to take control of the situation! “This is an intervention.” Well, that was certainly... _ unexpected _ . “You are teetering on being as emotionally constipated as Jonny, and that’s really not something anyone should willingly be. Least of all you.” They winked and Jon felt their face go red.  _ For fuck’s sake _ . They had been convinced they were over them. But then again, did anyone ever really get over Ashes O’Reilly? 

“Usually emotions are Marius’s thing, but there’s a 87% chance you would lie to him and an almost 100% chance that he would either let you or wouldn’t push!” Ivy provided not-so-helpfully as she stared them down. Jon had almost forgotten how intimidating she could be when she wanted to be. “But none of us really have intentions of letting you off that easily.” 

Ashes moved to light a cigarette and it took all of Jon’s self-restraint not to stop them. An action Ivy also seemed to reflect if the way her eyes narrowed was anything to go by. “And you have a lot of things to say and a lot of things to answer for. We both know I’m not one to leave without answers.” They always got what they wanted. Jon had always put it down to their many exploits as a mobster, but it had never really been an issue for them before. Not until now. 

“As much as I appreciate it, could I possibly get at least some clarification as to what exactly you’re intervening over? I’ve been told my...emotional incompetency is nothing overly new.” Jon rubbed at their eyes with a sigh, glancing over at Martin. 

“Don’t look at me!” Martin laughed softly as he moved to set a mug down in front of them. “I’m just here to bring tea and mediate.” A gentle kiss was pressed to their cheek before he stepped back. “That, and I do think both of them have a point, love.” If Martin was agreeing with their extremely murderous exes….Well, that was more than mildly concerning. 

“You, Lyfrassir Edda, have been dishonest with us.” There was no accusation in Ashes’ voice. They were stating a fact. At least, what they assumed to be a fact. Jon was fairly certain they had been entirely honest from the moment that they had come clean about their identity. “You never told us why you left.” 

“But I-” 

“No.” Ivy was interrupting before they could so much as attempt to finish their sentence. “You told us  _ how _ you left and the supposed ‘why’, but it was not...efficient.” Jon did their best not to snort. They supposed that was one way to put it. “We would have gladly spent every second of your life with you if you let us. We love you.” Those words made them tense up. 

“I love you too. All of you. I...I’m not going to bother trying to deny that.” They couldn’t bring themself to look at Martin. “But I’m also in love with Martin now and I’m happy here. I need to make sure you all  _ still _ understand that.” Jon would repeat it again and again as many times as they needed to. “We all already know that I’m mortal. I may have a longer lifespan than most but that does not take a single thing away from my mortality.” Surprisingly, no one tried to interrupt. “My lifespan is nothing to you and that is  _ terrifying _ . The fact that I’m going to age and die and be forgotten, but you’re all going to stay the same.” 

“We will never forget you.” Ivy’s words were short, precise, and certain. “Logically speaking, you are in fact the narrator for one of our albums which makes it extremely likely that your story will be played across a variety of star systems.” They did their best not to laugh as Ashes rolled their eyes. “Even if we wanted to - which we don’t - we couldn’t forget you.” 

“Oh.” They couldn’t bring themself to say anything else. How could they? It wasn’t as if they had any right to. Not really. 

Ashes reached for one of their hands and, for whatever reason, Jon let them take it. “I didn’t mourn my parents or my planet, Lyf, but I mourned  _ you _ . We all did. We collect stories but love...That’s not something we fuck around with.” A slight smirk crossed their face at that. “Jonny’ll swear his humanity is a result of the doc’s experiments, but we all have functioning hearts.” Okay, Jon knew they had seriously fucked up if Ashes was being openly affectionate. 

“Who are you and what have you done with Ashes O’Reilly? A feared mobster and space pirate would never be so sweet.” JOn was met with Ashes flipping them off as a response. 

They rolled their eyes. “Says the former space cop turned disaster academic.” Jon only mildly resented that. They did their best not to point out that they had always been a disaster and it wasn’t just a result of a changed profession. 

Martin cleared his throat to get their attachment (not that it was ever hard for him to get Jon’s attention). “We’ve been talking - all of us - and, well…” He fiddled with the ends of his sleeves. “I’m never going to try and dictate how you should and shouldn’t feel. If...If you still love them then I’m not opposed to our relationship being a little more  _ open _ .” That...hadn’t been at all what Jon was expecting. 

“Martin, are you sure?” They didn’t want to force him into a situation that would leave him considerably less than comfortable. 

Martin moved closer before bending down to press a kiss to their forehead. “Jon, I wouldn’t say I was unle-” He never got the chance to finish as Tim let himself into their office. 

Out of anyone ‘accidentally’ ruining a sincere moment, both Tims most likely topped that list. Though, Tim Stoker at least had the decency to look apologetic about it. “Sorry to interrupt, boss, but that cop - Basira? - dropped off another tape. Thought you’d want as soon as possible.” 

Oh right. The tapes. The reminder that their predecessor had been brutally murdered. Jon had been so caught up in their not-quite-exes that they had almost forgotten. Fuck. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are really appreciated!! or hmu @ desert-lily on tumblr!


	8. When Jonny met Elias

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...or when two bastards walk into a room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly had a lot of fun writing this!!

Elias Bouchard was not a man that was caught off guard often. Even during his days as Jonah Magnus, he had a fixation on control. He was the smartest person in every room; the Beholding made sure of it. It made sure he Knew exactly what he needed to know about those around him - even if other avatars proved to be particularly  _ tricky _ to deal with. Namely Peter Lukas during their many divorce hearings.  _ Honestly _ . Elias swore half the reason Peter kept agreeing to get married was that their separation when he was away felt  _ lonely _ . How dull. Not that Elias would ever admit that he himself so much as even remotely missed his husband. That was absurd, but it also wasn’t important. No, what  _ was _ important was his Archivist. 

Jon had been playing the role  _ perfectly _ . He had fallen in line exactly as Elias had expected them to. They were predictable enough that he barely needed to rely on the Beholding to work out what exactly they were going to do next. Though, there had always been something...off about Jonathan Sims. It was as if there was a part of them hidden away from the Eye; looked so deep inside that nothing and no one would ever Know anything about it. It was part of why Elias was so eager to have them as Gertrude’s replacement. 

The more tied the Archivist grew to the Eye, the easier it would be to learn their darkest secrets. And there  _ were _ dark secrets. He could always feel them festering on the surface. Though, perhaps dark was the wrong word. The most prominent thing he encountered when looking too far back was colours of every shade intense and swirling through Jon’s mide. It was more than a tad...unsettling. 

His latest...fascination was the crew of oddities that had begun to make themselves known within  _ his _ archives. Old friends or flames of Jon’s, supposedly, that were rather stubborn in their decision not to leave. Elias had let it play out - if only for his own amusement. He was centuries old. Even he got bored on occasion. Though, those occasions really were rare. The Institute still continued to be high maintenance to run and Elias was very much set on continuing to run it. There was no one else he would trust to do so. Particularly those that had any idea as to what the Magnus Institute real was. 

What had initially been for his amusement now became his contempt. As it turned out, the presence of these strangers made it hard to Watch his Archivist. They hid Jon away for whatever reason; like some sort of barrier keeping them apart. But as far as he could discern, they weren’t other Avatars. They did not serve any of the Entities but they were certainly oddities in their own right. It was inevitable that he would have to confront them about their role in all of this. After all, he would gladly dispose of anyone that got in the way of the Watcher’s Crown. 

As it turned out, he had no need to seek him out. Instead they came to him. At least, one in particular did. Elias wasn’t sure what to make of the man in front of him. He couldn’t quite decipher if the black swarming from his eyes was eyeliner or veins (or perhaps a horrifying mixture of both), and the amount of belts he wore was practically a sin. Still, Elias kept his face neutral. “There are other ways to open my door besides kicking it open. Namely using the handle.” 

The man’s grin was nothing but  _ predatory _ as if he were some animal hunting his prey. Unfortunately, in all of his hosts, he had never once been prey.He certainly would not start now. “I like making an entrance. Call it a cry for attention, if you will.” The man walked further in the room until he was standing in front of the desk. Elias did not stand to greet him. 

He sighed. The man was far too confident. It took an almost exerting amount of self-control to not just roll his eyes. “Do I get the name of whoever it is trying to garner my attention?” Of course, he already  _ Knew _ it, but Elias wanted to at least pretend as if they were equals. 

“Jonny d’Ville. Captain of the Aurora.” 

“First mate.” He corrected, if only for the satisfaction of watching Jonny’s eyes narrow. “Elias Bouchard, Head of the Magnus Institute.” He gave a pleasant smile. “Just as well that you’re a first mate. I’ve rather had it with captains recently.” He paused. “Messy divorce.” 

“I’d offer my condolences but that would create the illusion that I care.” Ah. So that was the sort of person he was dealing with. How...Wonderful. “Though, as I have found myself so comfortable in your archives, I thought it was only fair I introduce myself.” Elias didn’t hold back on rolling his eyes as he watched the man sit backwards on the chair across from him. Honestly, would it hurt to show at least some semblance of politeness? 

He leaned back slightly. “Something  _ tells _ me that this is a little bit more than a polite visit. You certainly don’t come across as the sort of it.” He folded his arms on the desk. “So, Mr d’Ville, what exactly is it that you want and why should I help you with it?” 

Jonny smirked. “You see, there’s this friend of mine. Actually, friend isn’t the right word.  _ Partner _ . And, as with all of my partners, I’m very attached to them. Not a big fan of their mortality and any  _ threats _ to said mortality. Makes me eager to intercede.” 

Elias sat up perfectly straight. He was not a fan of the man alluding to a lack of mortality. The Beholding would not let him look deeper and it was utterly  _ infuriating _ . “I’m hardly responsible for whatever situations Jon finds themself in. All I can is try to support and help them as much as my position allows.” 

“That’s bullshit and we both know it.” Jonny made a show of drawing an old revolver, running his fingers over it almost fondly. Elias just sighed. “There’s been an unproportional amount of injuries since they started working here. Namely that nasty business with the worms. Really not a fan of any repeat incidents. You know, I get it. You have to run...whatever the fuck this place really is.” He began to make a gesture of waving his gun around. “Can’t imagine it’s an easy feat. Don’t really envy you for it. Particularly as threats can really come from the most unlucky places.” 

He huffed, rolling his eyes. This was all a tad convoluted for his tastes; far too dramatic. At least he had some careful planning for his exploits. Elias paced himself. He didn’t care much for being sporadic. “Is there a point to this?”

“Of course.” He nodded slowly. “So, what I’m really saying is if even a single one of their hairs is out of place due to you or this job, there won’t be enough of you left to find.” 

“I could kill you if I wanted to.” 

Jonny smirked. “I’d love to see you try.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jonny gets to threaten Elias a little. As a treat. As usual, I adore comments and appreciate each and every one of them! Or hmu @ desert-lily on tumblr!

**Author's Note:**

> Please bully me into updating this regularly! Comments and kudos are always appreciated or hmu @ desert-lily on tumblr


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